Lake Toxaway

Lake Toxaway, North Carolina

Visitors to Lake Toxaway will see the beauty and serenity that first drew visionary E.H. Jennings to this area. His belief in the viability in this region as a resort destination led to the forming of Lake Toxaway – the first man-made Appalachian lake. It quickly grew in popularity with affluent travelers in the Southeast. Situated at 3,014 feet above sea level, the lake is one mile wide, three miles long and offers 14 miles of shoreline. Today, it continues to serve as a major draw for the affluent and their families, with mild year round temperatures, beautiful natural settings and imaginative communities that echo another era with resort-quality amenities.

Bear Wallow Springs

The newest addition to Lake Toxaway Estates, Bear Wallow Springs is located between lovely Lake Toxaway and the Sapphire Valley community. Dotted along the perimeter of the community’s Tom Fazio golf practice range are elegant mountain cottages on estate sized lots, each beautifully framed by stands of picturesque hardwoods found throughout the property. Residents of Bear Wallow Springs enjoy amenities like the Golf Learning Center and 5,300 square foot Fitness Center, as well as access to all of the resort-quality amenities available at Lake Toxaway Estates, one of the southeast’s premier vacation home destinations. These amenities include the Lake Toxaway Country Club, featuring fine dining, tennis, swimming and golf on an 18-hole championship golf course, designed by Kris Spence. The gated community of Bear Wallow Springs provides its residents with the privacy of a luxury mountain retreat coupled with the option of country club living

Catatoga

Catatoga, a Merrill Trust Community located in the Lake Toxaway area, was recently recognized by Pinnacle Magazine as “one of the most beautifully picturesque communities in the Southern Highland Mountains of North Carolina.” A hidden jewel set at the edge of a state park and tucked within an ancient forest of hardwoods, Catatoga is a gated community offering breathtaking views of Lake Toxaway and the surrounding mountain ranges. Home sites are set at elevations ranging from 2,500 to over 3,000 feet above sea level, providing the homeowner with sweeping vistas and mild temperatures year round. The Catatoga Clubhouse is comprised of two beautifully appointed stories, designed with community members’ enjoyment in mind; it includes a well-equipped kitchen, full bar, card room, exercise facilities, Jacuzzi, great room with fireplace and much more. The Clubhouse is adjacent to four Har-Tru lighted tennis courts and an Olympic-size pool. Catatoga provides access to over 20 acres of Lake Catatoga, as well as Catatoga Falls and Indian Creek Falls – said to be among the most awe-inspiring waterways in the region. The community’s boathouse and pavilion prove to be an excellent outdoor gathering place, with the pristine waters of Lake Catatoga as the backdrop.

Lake Toxaway Estates

Part of the grand vision of Pittsburgh entrepreneur E.H. Jennings in 1902, the rugged terrain associated with the area was transformed into a beautiful 614 acre mountain lake. Named by its creator, Lake Toxaway was the first artificial lake built in the Appalachians. Jennings began building the community by erecting The Toxaway Inn along the lake’s shoreline; he knew visitors would become as enamored with the area as he was. It quickly became a well-known retreat among the nation’s most well-to-do citizens, including Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone. While on vacation at Lake Toxaway, socialite and Savannah native Lucy Camp Armstrong fell in love with the area. She bought 40 acres around the lake and built an estate, lavish gardens and riding stables. During heavy rains in the summer of 1916, the area experienced flooding and a dam gave way, emptying Lake Toxaway completely. Armstrong’s estate and the Inn held fast, but with no lake, the area lost its appeal for the vacationing jet set. This event eventually led to the demise of The Toxaway Inn, which stood empty for 30 years before being demolished in 1948. Ms. Armstrong continued to love the area, took up permanent residence at her estate and lived long enough to see her dream realized when the lake was restored to its original beauty in the 1960s. After her death in 1970, Ms. Armstrong’s estate was transformed into The Greystone Inn, the crown jewel of the Lake Toxaway community.

Vacationers continue to be drawn to the area just as Jennings and Armstrong once were. Today, Lake Toxaway Estates is the largest community on the lake, made up of a network of individual neighborhoods and outstanding amenities. Neighborhoods of this premier vacation home destination include Bear Wallow Springs, Club Colony, Deep Ford Falls, Hawk Mountain, Lakeside Mountain, Meadow Ridge, Panther Ridge, Sutton’s Cove and Toxaway Mountain. The settings for home sites in Lake Toxaway Estates vary widely – from a scenic view of either Lake Toxaway or Lake Cardinal, to the peace and quiet of heavily wooded forest, to the excitement of a golf course or the majestic scenery of a mountain view. Amenities include access to the state’s largest private lake, as well as Lake Toxaway Country Club, featuring fine dining, tennis, swimming, fitness center and golf on an 18-hole championship golf course, designed by Kris Spence.

Toxaway Views

The name of this luxury mountain condominium property – Toxaway Views – refers to its breathtaking vistas of magnificent Toxaway Falls and the protected woodlands of Jocassee State Park. Each condo features two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a designer kitchen, open living/dining area, ample storage space and two decks to enjoy the views. All residents may enjoy the community’s swimming pool, tennis courts, access to miles of scenic walking trails and the picturesque picnic area at the base of the waterfall. Shopping and dining in the resort villages of Highlands and Cashiers are just a short drive from Toxaway Views condominiums.